Alice in Wonderland

"How Doth the Little Crocodile..." the famous poem from Lewis Carroll's book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Printed in cool blues and greens, this large giclee if available at Farouche.

Modern Love - Modern Green

The work of Flora Grubb has a strikingly fresh take on what gardening can be. The San Fransisco based landscape designer has worked along with her fiance, Kevin Smith and Seth Boor, both architects to create several vertical plant installations similar to the one pictured above. Her arrangements and installations seem more like they have been curated rather than simply being planted greenery.

Oh, my goodness!

Can you believe how sweet these Gary Fisher bicycles are?!
So loverly, I gasped when I saw them. The colors remind me of an ice cream parlor. There is glossy aqua bike with white accents, a pale mint one and a creamy sand one too!

Bring the meadow indoors...

I stumbled upon Graham and Green this morning. They have beautiful housewares and gifts. Not to mention the largest selection of inlaid furniture and mirrors I have ever seen. These little bird vases especially caught my fancy. They are so darling, I may just have to order a few.

Constant Gatherer

The work of the Constant Gatherer is created by Katie Runnels, a mixed media artist and designer from Arkansas. Her pieces all have infinite details that provoke a feeling of whimsy sewn together with a sense of discarded history. Katie’s home and design ideas have been exhibited internationally and displayed in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The Constant Gatherer Etsy shop features her lighter art and found work. For much more eye candy and fine art pieces please visit the Constant Gatherer website.

Put the Blame On Mame

Rita Hayworth was absolutely gorgeous in Gilda. So glamorous that she even out did herself. Rita was often quoted as saying, "They go to bed with Gilda, they wake up with me."

Hayworth was the quintessential star in the golden age of Hollywood. She was strikingly beautiful with a perfect smile, voice and figure. When it came to dancing she could easily keep up with Fred Astaire and make it look like a walk in the park. The movie Gilda made her such a star that they even made paper dolls with her likeness for little girls to play with. Today, fifty years later, Gilda makes Rita Hayworth seem larger than life. I guess you really can put the blame on Mame!

Flotsam and Jetsam

I once met the captain of a sailboat who was born on the ocean. His mother went into labor while they were out to sea and as a result his birth certificate has the longitude and latitude listed as the place of his birth. That sure sounds more interesting than place of birth: Memorial Hospital.

I have always wanted to sail around the world with the same sense of adventure that existed in the late 1800's. The truth is I just don't have the courage. Sure, I could take a cruise ship and feel safe. A cruise would just take out all of the interesting parts like the tall tales of sea monsters, exotic harbors and mysterious superstitions. Instead I will have to be content with dreaming about flotsam and jetsam with these nautical beauties.

Bliss

Sometimes in the afternoons we all need a little rest. Naps in the summer seem the most enjoyable as your body cools down and your mind drifts off. The cat has no trouble finding a cool spot under the ferns were he lounges half in the sun and shade. He is a champion sleeper, and often falls asleep with a blissful expression on his face. Sometimes when the cat is on his fourth nap of the day Joe will go nudge him and remind him he is late on his share of the rent again. On the weekends we get to sneak in a nap on the couch with nothing stirring but the fan... blissful indeed.

Shadowy Fairytales

"As a child I was fascinated with the characters from poems, fairytales, and plays. I loved investigating the differences in illustration, language, and message found in the many versions of my favorite stories."- M. Fayre

I recently came across M. Fayre Photography on etsy. After marking one of her items she was sweet enough to write and thank me for a simple heart. It is nice to be reminded how much small acknowledgments, like a heart, can mean to an artist. That behind every piece we see there is a person and a passion. I enjoy the narrative quality of her photography and I think you will too. Take a peek at her charming shop for more storybook inspired images.


- for those readers not familiar with etsy a "heart" is a way to bookmark an item you like -

Happy Birthday Joe!

Yesterday we had an all day BBQ to celebrate Joe's birthday. As usual it was a non-stop feast that went on into the night. I woke up this morning still full. I can't remember ever eating so many types of meat and fish in a single day. To prove it here is the list...
First coarse was clams with chorizo and roasted garlic crostinis with basil, Parmesan and tomato. Second coarse of sweet shrimp with chili and lime, watermelon and cucumber salsa with Serrano chilies. The third coarse was scallops wrapped in bacon. Then on to a fourth coarse of antelope and elk with rosemary. Next it was halibut with a caper aioli and somewhere in between there was roasted potatoes and baby artichokes.

I feel so full... I may not eat again until Wednesday.

When life gives you lemons...

Make Homemade Lemonade

-1 cup sugar can be reduced to 3/4 cup
-1 cup water for the simple syrup
-1 cup lemon juice
-3 to 4 cups cold water to dilute the lemonade to your liking

.................

1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside to cool.

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. This is a good time to enlist the help of your children or spouse for elbow grease.

3 Add the juice and simple syrup to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to your desired strength. Refrigerate until chilled. If the lemonade is too sweet for your taste try adding a little more straight lemon juice. When using Meyer lemons you may need to use less simple syrup since Meyers are a rather sweet lemon. Serve with ice and sliced lemons.

Serves 6 average people or 1 sumo wrestler.

Thirsty for more? Then check out Love. Obsess. Inspire. Alexa was sweet enough to post our lemonade download on her beautiful blog too. You should take a peek if you are in need of an extra dose of eye candy.

The Wonderful World of Doctor Dolittle

clockwise starting from the top left: Oh My Cavalier!,
Poor Dog Farm, Letterpress Delicacies, Berkley Illustration

clockwise starting from the top left: Sweetshorn, Berkley Illustration,
Prospero's Bookshelf, A Alicia Accessories


Recently I revisited the 1967 version of Doctor Dolittle. I have not seen it since I was in elementary and was surprised how much I still love it. It is such a classic children's movie. However, this time I did cheat and fast forward through most of the singing.

This movie has everything from a circus to the giant pink sea snail and a traveling island. I could see it being next on Tim Burton's list of classic films to update.